MAC Cosmetics

Were you an Archie’s Comics fan back in the day like I was? If so, and you love makeup, check this out:

MAC Archie’s Girls for Spring 2013: Does this bring back memories or what?!?

The collection is broken up into two parts. There is Betty (Cooper), consisting of lighter shades and Veronica (Lodge) made up of the traditional in-your-face dramatic colors. The collection is huge and as such will be this post but trust me, it’s worth it. If you don’t want to read my blather but see some live-and-in-color pics, check out this post on Specktra.com.

Nothing like a love triangle to remind you of Valentine’s Day like Veronica, Betty and Archie…

Lipglasses. A Brown Girl MAC Addict’s Holy Grail 😉

Betty Collection: MAC Archie’s Girls

Lipsticks

Girl Next Door Vivid blue pink (Lustre)

Betty Bright Light vibrant peach (Satin)

Oh, Oh, Oh Sheer brown plum (Lustre) (Repromote)

BIGA Intel says: Lustres and satins are not my favorite finishes, especially in lighter colors such as these. If you didn’t get your hands on Watch Me Simmer, Betty Bright would hold you over until a repromote happens.

Lipglass

Summer Sweetheart Light peach

Stay Sweet Light lavender pink

Kiss & Don’t Tell Bright coral

BIGA Intel says: Lipglasses are more often than not a good value. If you have very pigmented lips, I would go straight for Kiss & Don’t Tell. If you already own Strange Potion from the MAC Disney Villains collection or Tour de Fabulous from Stylepacked, this shade is probably a skip for you.

PearlGlide Eye Liner

Lord It Up Bronze with pearl

Black Swan Black with gold pearl

BIGA Intel says: Pearlglide eyeliners are very long-wearing, go on smooth and sparkly and look amazing. Lord it Up would look best on light to medium skintones while Black Swan will compliment all skintones.

Pigment

Cheers My Dear Light lavender (Frost)

Lucky in Love Shimmering light blue green (Frost)

BIGA Intel says: Frankly I haven’t been too pleased with the quality of MAC pigments of late. If you own any of the mineralize eye shadows close to light lavender or light blue green, best to go with those. Should you choose to go with these pigments, be sure to pick up some Mixing Medium from MACCosmetics.com. You’ll thank me later.

Powder Blush

Cream Soda Light neutral coral (Satin)

BIGA Intel says: This should be a nice color for light to medium skintones. I can’t see this one working on darker skintones very well. From the promo photos it looks a lot like NARS Gilda but performance could be another story.

Pearlmatte Face Powder

BIGA Intel says: This is the first time I’ve seen this type of product. A ‘beauty powder’ with blush ‘built in’. Beauty powders such as these seem to work best as an all-over face color for light to medium skintones, and as a nice highlighter for dark skintones. I will caution that if you have a dark skintone (NW/NC 45+) it’s best to try this in person to see if you like it.

Caramel Sundae Eyeshadow Palette

Caramel Sundae Mid-tone warm tan (Satin)

Cheryl Chic Light coral pink (Frost)

Dreammaker Pale frosty yellow (Frost)

Showstopper Dark, cool-toned brown (Matte) (Repromote)

BIGA Intel says: A nice collection of neutral shades. If you have very oily lids and/or have a dark skin tone, be sure to prep your lids with a paint pot like Painterly or Soft Ochre before applying to eyelids.

Nail Lacquer

Pep Pep Pep Light peach nude

Comic Cute Bright coral

BIGA Intel says: I am not a huge fan of MAC’s nail polishes as I feel the price point is too high and the performance is no where near the level of Illamasqua or NARS. Check these lines for comparable dupes.

Veronica Collection: MAC Archie’s Girls

This is me when I have to yell at tech support who has no clue I’m an engineer…

Lipstick

Daddy’s Little Girl Mid-tone pink violet (Satin)

Ronnie Red Bright red (Matte)

Boyfriend Stealer Deep blackened plum (Cremesheen)

BIGA Intel says: While it’s in the satin finish I loathe, Daddy’s Little Girl seems to have such a high color saturation I still want it. Ronnie Red looks to finally be the bright blue-red I’ve been waiting for MAC to produce in forever (Ruby Woo looks like crap on me as does MAC Red and Russian Red). Boyfriend Stealer should be a hit with brown girls because of the deep, dark color. I will say that if you do not own Yung Rapunxnel (amplified finish), make sure to haul that color first before Boyfriend Stealer.

Lipglass

Mall Madness Mid-tone pink violet

Strawberry Malt Bright red

Feelin’ So Good Deep blackened plum

BIGA Intel says: All of these look super-color-saturated the way true MAC addicts love their liplasses. Strawberry Malt will look amazing on dark skin over Ronnie Red, and Feelin’ So Good looks a lot like Wrong Spell from MAC Venomous Villains.

PearlGlide Eye Liner

Petrol Blue Deep navy with pearl

Designer Purple Violet with pearl

BIGA Intel says: Forget Designer Purple and go straight for Petrol Blue. Why? Not only does Petrol Blue look intensely amazing, it goes on smooth without issue. Designer Purple isn’t as vibrant nor goes on as smooth as Petrol Blue. Unless MAC has changed the formula recently, I don’t see myself getting another Designer Purple. But Petrol Blue? You can never have too many.

Pigment

Black Poodle Blackened pink (Frost)

Magic Spells Blackened teal (Frost)

BIGA Intel says: From swatches I’ve seen, Black Poodle doesn’t look too impressive on and frankly it looks like MAC’s Beauty Marked (Velvet) eyeshadow. If you were lucky enough to get Moonlight Night pigment from MAC’s A Tartan Tale collection, you can skip Magic Spells.

Pearlmatte Face Powder

BIGA Intel says: I passed on Play it Proper beauty powder and as I already own ‘Too Chic’ and MAC’s Salsarose blush (MAC Pro), I’m passing on this.

Spoiled Rich Eyeshadow Palette

Spoiled Rich Rich purple (Frost)

Ron Ron Run Deep navy (Satin)

Pin-Up Purple Mid-tone orchid (Frost)

Gravel Charcoal (Matte)

BIGA Intel says: The compact looks pretty, and the colors look nice, but check your stash first and check it twice. These four colors look a lot like MAC Stars & Rockets, Atlantic Blue, Parfait Amour and some other dark charcoal grey color eyeshadow MAC has out. My first instinct is that these colors are dupeable but the palette is more about convenience than the colors included.

Nail Lacquer

Past Curfew Deep berry

Double Trouble Deep navy

BIGA Intel says: See my notes under Betty. Intel is still the same.

Veronica items from the MAC Archie’s Girls Collection for Spring 2013. So cool, so Veronica…and so *me*.

My being a huge fan of the Archie comics, and of course totally on Team Veronica, I am very excited about this collection! So much so that I found this bonus ‘cheat sheet’ you MUST print out and circle to note what you want. The collection is rumored to launch on MACCosmetics.com on January 30th but you probably want to start stalking the site before then.

Still here? It’s like you’re looking for that ‘bonus scene’ at the end of the movie credits. Well, here ya go!

Finally, MAC has made some of its most coveted (and hauled by yours truly) products from their PRO line available online at MACcosmetics.com. These are products and colors not regularly sold outside of MAC PRO stores unless repromoted in special collections or popping up unannounced on the website for sale. Before you run off to the site with credit card in hand, here are a few items I highly recommend purchasing.

This is without a doubt the BLACKEST and most long-lasting gel eyeliner I have ever used. It is a waterproof gel/cream and It lasts through sweat, humidity (yes I have Florida tested it) and applies smooth and precisely. The pigmentation is second to none and no other black gel eyeliner I have tried has come close to how black this is. I personally like using a light line of this along my lashline to use as a ‘guide’ to putting on false eyelashes.

These brightly-colored pencils are very soft and go on smoother than the eye and lip pencils in MAC’s regular retail range. Hi-Def Cyan is truly cyan as in #E0FFFF hex code and the glowing blue color from TRON which looks amazing paired up with a black & silver smokey eye. I like to use the Process Magenta color as a lip liner to amp up pink and purple lipsticks.

Ever wonder how to get those gorgeous MAC pigments to stick on your lid? Have a fancy to fiddle with finishes? These mixing mediums are great to use to apply and punch up the intensity of MAC pigments, or to use with the eye shadows should you choose to. If you are a pigment hoarder like I am, you need this product in BOTH formulations.

MAC pigments serve as wonderful bases in order to amp up your eyeshadow color. Kelly Green is a gorgeous green well-suited to cool skintones, and Electric Coral is just cool enough to make coral eyeshadows like Paradisco and Motif pop. I am very partial to MAC Veluxe Pearl finishes and bright blues so Blue Calm is a must while Bottle Green is a gorgeous dark matte green perfect for Fall/winter.

So those are all of my must haves. Of course the MAC Pro collection has lots of other lipstick colors (Violetta is definitely worth checking out) and items so definitely visit the website to see what goodies tickle your fancy.

Coming in April 2012, MAC invites you to take your eye shadow to the Extra Dimension.

MAC Extra Dimension–bringing color to another level!

Scheduled for a North American release the first week of April 2012 (yes, same time as Reel Sexy) this collection will debut a new technological formula in the form of ten (10) Extra Dimension Eyeshadows and three (3) Extra Dimension Skinfinishes. Also coming back from its successful launch with the Semi-Precious eyeshadow collection are the split fibre cheek and eye shadow blending brushes.

MAC Extra Dimension eye shadows–can they top Peacocky?

Extra Dimension Eye Shadows

Warm Thunder- mid-tone silver grey

Blue Orbit- light iridescent purple

Grand Galaxy- mid-tone violet

Lunar- royal blue

Havanna- mid tone copper brown

Sweet Heat- bright peach champagne

modern pewter mode-tone olive gold

Rich Core-mid tone aubergine

Dark Dare-charcoal black

Young Venus-pale white pink

With ten eye shadows it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Reports indicate these shadows are large-sized like the Mineralize eyeshadows that were recently relaunched. For me personally I like to gravitate towards colors I will use the most frequently given the size of the product. So with my skin tone (NW) in consideration and my budget, plus what my inner beauty geek tells me, here are my top pics for the Extra Dimension eye shadows

WARM THUNDER — Described as a mid-tone silver grey, strangely this a color missing from my eye shadow stash. I don’t own Electra nor do I own any MAC silver pigments. Silver is great on gals with cool/red undertones as a base and as a highlight.

MAC Extra Dimension eye shadow in Warm Thunder

BLUE ORBIT — Light iridescent purple? Iridescent AND purple? I’m going to call this now as THE shade to get from this collection. This is a color I don’t recall MAC having anything in its current eye shadow or pigment lineup. So suffice it to say that in addition to the color, the iridescent effect, and the new formula, Blue Orbit will be the Shimmermint (from MAC’s Christmas Glitter & Ice ) of this collection.

MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Blue Orbit

SWEET HEAT — A bright peach champagne, this looks to be a very pretty brow highlight shade and even a nice neutral color to wear all over the eyelid. It looks like it will compliment cooler skintones a bit better but not so much that warm toned beauties couldn’t rock it.

MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Sweet Heat

MODERN PEWTER — Pow! This shade reminds me of the Dalliance eyeshadow from the Peacocky collection. This definitely looks to be a cool-toned shade and would look amazing blended with Blue Orbit for an interesting eye look. I know I plan to try it!

MAC Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Modern Pewter

You can find pictures of the remaining shadows on this German website.

Extra Dimension Skinfinish

Whisper Of Gilt- light soft white gold with shimmery sheen

Superb- Soft peach nude with Multi dimensional shimmer

Glorify- Copper golden shimmer

Unlike the Mineralize Skinfinishes (which do not last on my super oily skin) the Extra Dimension Skinfinishes (EDS) are reported to be a new formula like the eye shadows. In the graphic earlier in this post where you see the small eye shadows and three ‘bigger’ ones, those three big ones look to be the Extra Dimension skinfinishes. What excites me about these is that if you have severely oily skin as I do, those Mineralize Skin Finishes seem to last only nanoseconds on your skin before evaporating into a thought. Me being the techno-geek that I am, I so hope these do last longer on my skin. Glorify, the one described as having the copper golden shimmer is definitely on my list. Superb may be next and this is probably the one that would look the best on all skin tones. Whisper of Gilt looks to be a little too light for my skintone but could be a nice highlighter.

Split Fibre Brushes

128 split fiber brush — Cheek brush

234 split fiber brush — Eyeshadow blending brush

MAC Split Fibre 128 and 235 brushes

Finding out these split fibre brushes were coming back was the main reason the Extra Dimension collection piqued my interest. Originally launched with the limited edition Semi-Precious collection last year, these brushes are unique in that one side is made up of natural hairs while the other side is made up of synthetic hairs. This makes for a great multi-purpose brush for applying cream shadows (like Paint Pots and Make Up For Ever Aqua Creams) and cream blushes. I use mine religiously to apply cream and powder products then blend them–all this with only having to use one brush.

Closeup of MAC Split Fibre 128 and 235 brushes

So are you excited about this collection? Planning to pick up a few items? See any colors that you just gotta have? Hit me up in the comments.

As you can see if you’ve been reading my blog for awhile (and I am so grateful and thankful to each and every one of you readers) you’ll notice these Makeup Intel posts. I’ve noticed that while some folks post about upcoming collections and the color story, I’m more interested in how it translates to what I own, what folks might own, what my beauty sense says to grab and what to leave behind and look for later at the CCO (Cosmetics Company Outlet–where cosmetics go to die).

So what’s the big news for Reel Sexy? A color story, swatches and a slightly postponed release date. A HUGE shout-out to Itching2Snitch over on Specktra for the color swatches.

MAC’s Reel Sexy collection is scheduled to release in APRIL 2012 now and is reported to consist of four (4) lipsticks, four (4) Cremesheen Glass (can’t stand those damn things), four (4) eye shadow duos, four (4) eye kohl pencils, Zoom Fast lash, Mineralize Skinfinish (Lightscapade) and two (2) blushes. You can see FabDiva20’slist of individual items from the collection.

MAC Reel Sexy Collection Lipsticks (yes, Watch Me Simmer is BACK!)

I really feel MAC has another strong lipstick lineup in this collection. The four lipsticks in this collection are Pink Popcorn, Reel Sexy, Watch Me Simmer (yes, THE one from Cook MAC) and Heroine. Pink Popcorn is described as a lavender color with a Lustre finish. MAC’s Lustre formulas have been very nice of late and I’m guessing it will have a pretty nice color payoff like Flamingo from the Iris Apfel collection. Reel Sexy is described as a light, bright coral with an Amplified finish. I feel that Amplified finishes are the best finish lipsticks MAC produces so the payoff should be amazing on general principle. I’d really like to know if this color leans orange or pink coral but I’ll have to wait until I can swatch it to find out. Watch Me Simmer is a pink coral that pulls really pink on skin with red undertones like mine and more orange on warmer skintones. If you missed out on getting this when the Cook MAC collection came out, make it a top priority to haul this color as it is well worth the hype. Heroine (not to be confused with Heroine from the Wonder Woman collection) is described as a bright violet purple with a matte finish. I love violet purples so if this matte finish is nice and smooth like Quick Sizzle was, I’m very much looking forward to it.

MAC Reel Sexy Collection Eye Shadow Duos

The Dynamic Duo eye shadows (cue 1960’s Batman theme music) are most likely packaged like the Colourizations duos that came out last year. Dynamic Duo One (DD1) coral with yellow pearlized pigments (veluxe pearl)/purple (matte). Dynamic Duo Two (DD2) violet duo chrome with pearlized pigments (frost)/violet (matte). Dynamic Duo Three (DD3) mid-tone purple (veluxe pearl)/teal blue (matte) and Dynamic Duo Four (DD4) is a mid-tone pink (satin)/blackened violet (matte). As I feel MAC’s Veluxe Pearl finishes give you more value and performance, I’d lean towards picking up DD1 and DD3 if the colors appeal to you. I will say that if the teal blue of DD3 looks too much like Robin’s Egg from Iris Apfel, it may not make purchasing this duo worthwhile.

Reel Sexy Collection Cremesheen Glasses

I am not a big fan of the Cremesheen Glass finish. I’m also not a fan of the Creamsheen lipstick finish. However, the look of Color Saturation just may change my mind. The four colors in this collection are: Private Screening (a mid-tone peach), Cinestyle (a mid-tone blue grey violet), Colour Saturation (a dark cool wine) and Star Quality (a bright orange coral). Considering the cost of Cremsheen glasses, the lighter colors aren’t as much of a good value as the darker colors if you plan to wear them alone.

Swatches of Blushes from MAC's Reel Sexy (credit: Specktra.net)

The two blushes in this collection are Pink Cult (a repromote from the Jeanius collection from last year) which is a mid-tone neutral pink and Magenta which is a bright magenta. I passed on Pink Cult in the Jeanius collection because I though it too warm for my skintone. Magenta looks gorgeous but as I already own a Magenta CCB from the Stylishly Yours collection, I’m not anxious to buy this one.

Phew! That’s enough for now. Once I hear a more firm release date I will update this post.

If you know anything about the icon Marilyn Monroe was, and still is, you know those caps are more than warranted.

Scheduled for release in stores in October, MAC is producing a makeup collection inspired by the illustrious Marilyn Monroe. According to the press information MAC provided to the Hollywood Reporter, and announced by MAC in their Twitter Feed on 2/22/12 the collection will be comprised of over 30 pieces including eye shadow, lipstick and other goodies. I will post more information as it is released to the public.

“Marilyn’s an icon, plain and simple. Her look not only defined a generation but also is relevant today,” MAC senior vp James Gager told THR. Monroe’s presence is felt everywhere, even 50 years after her death, from NBC’s new hit show Smash, which stars American Idol alum Katharine McPhee and Broadway vet Megan Hilty, to the Oscar-nominated My Week With Marilyn with Michelle Williams.
“Marilyn’s back in the zeitgeist,” says Gager.

Start saving those credits, Programs. This is going to cost a chunk of change!

Granted the Shop MAC / Cook MAC collection is for Spring 2012, here in the Northeastern US it is absolutely frigid. And as such, chapped lips are constantly on my mind. So when I heard the legendary Tendertones from MAC were making an appearance, I wondered if they were worth all the radio chatter. Are they worth it? Let’s discuss…

To paraphrase Flavor Flav of Public Enemy, "Should you believe the hype?"

There are a total of four (4) Tendertones released in the Cook MAC portion of this Spring 2012 release. I picked up the two most pigmented which are Hot N Saucy, and Purring. Hot N Saucy is a bright Jolly Rancher/Skittles red color that is translucent and goes on the lips semi-sheer. Purring is a bright tangerine orange that goes on with a hint of color. Not as bold as Hot N Saucy but you can definitely notice the pigmentation.

Purring Tendertone from Cook MAC. Looks crazy in the pot but sheers out on the lips.

Hot 'N Saucy Tendertone. My favorite one for the obvious red semi-sheer tint on the lips.

So on the surface all of these Tendertones just look like Philosophy Kiss Me lipgloss in a pot with the same delicious smells. But that’s where the comparison end. Tendertones are jam-packed with moisture and I noticed a definite difference in my lips when using it the first time. I’m so-so about the Jack Black lipbalms (which I think are overhyped), can take or leave the Philosophy ones and think my EOS (Evolution of Smooth) ones are wonderful, but these Tendertones I am just over the moon about.

From left: Hot 'N Saucy Tendertone, Purring Tendertone

The big reason these Tendertones are so moisturizing is found in the ingredients. Not the petrolatum (which I’m sensitive to in large quantities but in this it doesn’t irritate me or give me an allergic reaction) which provides slip and a moisture barrier, not the various fruit oils but this sucker contains…wait for it…murumuru butter! Yes, the same murumuru butter that is in the legendary and vulgar display of price point lipsticks of Tom Ford fame. Murumuru butter is also very expensive relative to the ubiquitous cocoa butter and shea butter. This is probably why Tendertones are a limited edition.

I’ve read some reviews from people saying they don’t like the lip gloss being in a pot. That of course is a personal preference. I don’t like having to squeeze the frakking tube to get the last bit out which is why I love the smooth EOS lip balm spheres. My personal advice concerning Tendertones is this: buy a retractable lip brush to use with them. Revlon makes a cheap one, Sonia Kashuk for Target has one, Sephora definitely has one and NARS has a chic one.

Tendertones from the Cook MAC collection are $15 USD and are currently available at all MAC locations. These are also going FAST! Nordstrom.com has a backorder of 2/20/12 on some of the Tendertones while Maccosmetics.com is sold out of all but one (and that is Coming Soon).

The Colour Added eye shadow quad consists of four (4) colors: Laundry Daze (S), Colour Added (VXP), PrePackaged (VXP) and Self-Serve (S). Laundry Daze is a satin-finish shade with a slight yellow tint. Colour Added is a light yellow shade with a pearl sheen while PrePackaged is a dark teal. Self-Serve is a smokey dark grey color with a satin finish that is an absolute pain in the proverbial to swatch and has the worst color payoff of the entire group. Still, it’s a shade I could care less about as the other three work fabulously together and are very well pigmented.

Colour Added (VXP) is slightly more yellow than Going Banannas (F/Dare To Wear) and is more pastel yellow on my NW43 skin than Three Ring Yellow (VXP/Cindy Sherman). I have heard some blog reports that Three Ring Yellow and Colour Added look the same on them. Perhaps this is the case if you have yellow undertones (NC range) but as I have cool red undertones (NW) the color difference is very apparent. Three Ring Yellow actually has more of a green cast on my skin than yellow. Colour Added is very buildable and has excellent color payoff as I’ve come to expect from Veluxe Pearl finishes.

Laundry Daze (S) is a satin finish that looks obviously ‘flat’ next to the uber-shimmery Crystal Avalanche (VXP). This makes a great brow highlight shade as it is not very shimmery and blends easily. It does appear to have a slight lemon cast to it when swatching but it isn’t easily apparent. I had no performance issues with this color which is surprising as I am not a fan of MAC’s satin eyeshadows.

From left: Crystal Avalanche (VXP), Laundry Daze (S)

Self-Serve (S) is obviously darker than Copperplate (M2) and has more grey and no sparkle in it as compared to Hocus Pocus (S). Perhaps it’s because it takes time to ‘break’ it in but I found swatching Self-Serve got easier the more product I got on the brush. Of course this means I’d wind up eventually using more product. As this is my least favorite color of the quad (and honestly, it isn’t what drew me to it) I don’t consider it a knock on the value of this palette. Consider it the ‘Crazy Memaw‘ of the quad and roll with it.

From left: Copperplate (M2), Self-Serve (S), Hocus Pocus (S)

Pre-Packaged (VXP) has a brighter blue cast than Deep Truth (F) and brighter than Plumage (M) which has no shimmer. The color swatches beautifully and when blended with the yellow Colour Added produces a subtle smokey green that adds to the mystery of your eye look. I love this shadow on its own but combined with the other two it looks amazing! Even the Crazy Memaw color of Self-Serve takes a little of the shine off to give it a different effect.

From left: Deep Truth (F), Pre-Packaged (VXP), Plumage (M)

Unlike with the Call Me Bubbles quad, Colour Added is more ‘in your face’ and edgy. If you want to add more dimension to your eyeshadow collection or want to try something different, I think you will be pleased with it. Folks who are ‘color averse’ may want to either skip this or swatch in person before making a decision. For olive to dark-skinned girls I think this is an amazing quad to have. Just make sure to use a pale base on your eyelid (MAC Soft Ochre, Painterly or Nublie paint pot, or Crystal Avalanche eye shadow) before applying the Laundry Daze or Colour Added or else the color won’t pop as well or last as long.

The Colour Added quad retails for $38 USD, is a limited edition item and is available at all MAC locations (freestanding and counter) and at MacCosmetics.com. International release is slated for March of 2012.